Deep
by Gina Giovanni
Summary: AU. Loki has managed to defeat the Avengers and now has the world at his mercy. Jane Foster, a simple mortal, just so happens to cross paths with the god of lies.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or any of the characters in the movies. I'm just boring them for awhile.

I haven't ficced in years. This is...really angsty. It surprised me. I look at my old things and I'm astonished at how different my writing was. Well, I hope you enjoy and stuff. I had a lot of fun writing it.

**Edit:** I put breaks between scenes to make it an easier read. Also, corrected a few spelling errors I missed.

* * *

Chapter 1

The Avengers...

They were supposed to be Earth's Mightiest Heroes. They were supposed to be the saviors. Even after Loki took control of New York, many still had hope that they would eventually prevail. Month after month the world watched on as the Avengers fought hard against their enemy. As the fight continued, it became more and more evident that they would fail. And now, Loki, god of mischief, was the new world leader. The Avengers failed and the rest of the world would kneel. Everyone would obey...or they would suffer.

Luckily, Jane's home hadn't been seized yet. She assumed that New Mexico was of little interest to him. What did they have anyways...Sante Fe and Albuquerque? Big freaking deal. Although, eventually, Jane knew that Loki would get around to New Mexico. Right now he just had bigger and better fish to fry. So, for now, Jane Foster would not have to live under his rule.

For now, she was safe.

It wasn't like she was any use to their new leader. It wasn't as if she had any close ties with the Avengers. Of course, she knew of them. They were all over the news. They were people on a television set that you were supposed to believe in. There was Iron Man, the billionaire turned superhero. There was Captain America, the man out of time. There was the Hulk, some man that could level a city once he lost his temper.

Most importantly, there was Loki's brother. Thor, the god of thunder, the one Loki hated with a violent, fiery passion. Of all the Avengers, he was the one everyone talked about. Word had it that Thor was banished from his world, Asgard. A pair of ASU students just so happened to find him on the side of the road in some place called Casa Grande. It was said that these two people managed to completely change Thor. There was this redheaded girl plastered all over TV, some young woman named Melissa Tyler. She was supposedly the love of Thor's life.

What it must have been like to be in her shoes for just one moment? She must have been one amazing woman to win the heart of a god, and now she was dead for it. A week ago people crowded around their TVs to watch the unspeakable execution, but Jane could not bring herself to watch something as horrible as a televised execution. Just the thought of it sent shivers down her spine. It made her feel lucky she knew no one involved in this war.

"That's all that's on anymore," Jane glanced across the room to see Erik flipping through channels. "Shit about Loki...shit about S.H.I.E.L.D...shit about the Avengers. When reality just sucks this damn bad, you kind of miss all the fictional programs that used to be on TV. This stuff is just downright depressing."

"I guess you start to miss the small things in life once you lost them," Jane replied.

"Hey, I'm just grateful Loki hasn't taken interest in most of the southern states," Erik said. "I bet the only reason he took Arizona was to get at his brother."

"Or maybe he just hasn't gotten around to our states yet," Jane replied. "Who knows."

"Well, I'm going to enjoy a Loki-Free New Mexico while it lasts," Erik said.

There was a loud knock at the door. Jane let out a deep groan. It was probably that old, homeless woman again. Yes, it was truly sad. The poor woman was practically starving to death, and at first, she was more than willing to offer her food. Now that they were running low, she couldn't be as charitable.

"I'll get it," Jane said.

"Just tell her we can't give her anymore," Erik said. "You don't have to be mean or anything, but don't let her think she can push you over."

Jane swung the door open and jumped back. Just outside her door stood two men, both of which were wearing black suits. Jane glanced behind them and spotted a large black van. _S.H.I.E.L.D._ There was no way in hell this was going to end favorably for her and Erik.

"Hello, Miss Foster. I am Agent Morris. This is my partner Agent Brennan."

"I don't have anything to hide," Jane spat defensively.

"Actually, we don't believe you have anything to hide. We are not here to take you into custody. We are here to inform you that our sources believe Loki will attempt to take Albuquerque soon. Both you and Erik are scientists and could be a valuable asset to him. We are here to take you to safety," Morris explained.

"To...protect...us..." Jane whispered.

"Yes, to protect you," Agent Brennan said.

"Jane, just tell her to go! It really isn't that hard-" Erik paused when he approached the doorway. "Oh...shit..."

Jane turned back to Erik, fighting back the tears forming in her eyes. "Erik, they think Loki's near Albuquerque. They want to hide us, because we're scientists. We might be an asset to him or something like that."

"Look, you two...we're not going to help him," Erik argued. "So, just leave us alone."

"Mr. Selvig, we do not doubt your words," Morris replied. "However, Loki is capable of mind control. If he kidnaps you or Miss Foster, you won't have much of a choice."

"Erik," Jane paused. "We should just go."

"Yeah," Erik agreed.

* * *

_Only take what you need_. That was Morris's specific instructions. _Clothes and food. That is it._ Jane collected two extra outfits and grabbed the rest of their food supply. Food was getting rather expensive these days. Everything was getting rather expensive these days actually. Loki refused to trade with territories that were not under his control. This sent inflation through the roof. Countries would easily surrender to him for that reason alone. If her and Erik didn't disagree with his methods so vehemently, both of them probably would have traveled to Colorado to live in his regime.

But both of them were to stronger than that. They still had their pride, and they would not accept scraps from a heartless dictator.

Jane carried a few outfits into a small brown box. Then, she went into the cupboard and dumped into all of the food. She tucked a small notebook in between her clothes. Screw whatever Morris said. She would not abandon her research. She would make some use of it some day and she knew it.

Jane handed the box of her possessions to Brennan and followed him out to the van. She swung the door open and her warmth spread through her. There sitting in the backseat was Darcy, her old intern. Jane allowed a smile to perk up across her lips. _Darcy_. What the hell did these men want with her, anyways? She was just some intern they hired over the summer. It wasn't as if she would provide much use to Loki. She barely provided any use to them during her internship.

"Darcy...oh my god...why did they take you?" she said with astonishment.

"Well, since I was your intern, they thought Loki might use me as bait or something like that. I tried to tell them that we weren't really that close, but...yeah, they wouldn't even listen. _Dude_, they wouldn't even let me take my iPod. They are such, assholes..."

Jane interrupted her. "I want to know...where are they taking us?"

"Beats the hell out of me," Darcy replied.

Jane climbed into the seat next Darcy's. Jane threw her arms around her and held her tightly. "I'm so scared, Darcy."

"Honestly, I'm not really that scared," she replied. "I just can't wait to get away from these two douche bags. Morris is a huge dick, Jane. And that Brennan guy? He creeps me out, dude."

Jane ignored her comment and changed the subject to something more important. "Darcy, seriously, do you think that Loki will come after us?"

"Probably not," Darcy replied. "I mean, knowing a bunch of stuff about stars isn't going to help him much. It's not like you actually had a major breakthrough on that Rosen Einstein thing."

"Einstein-Rosen Bridge," Jane corrected stubbornly.

"Yeah, whatever. Jane, I don't think he cares about your research. He's a freaking god. _Come on._ He probably already knows all about that stuff. Plus, he can like teleport. We've seen him do it all TV all the time. The feds just get their panties in a twist every time they just here Loki's name. Seriously, I bet some guy made this 'Loki going to Albuquerque' story just for attention. Oh, if that's true, I'm going to kick that guys..."

"You're probably right...just rumors," Jane interrupted. At the moment, she was not in the mood to hear a detailed account of how Darcy would beat up some guy that probably didn't even exist.

Jane admitted that she did gain a bit of relief from Darcy's words. She began to rationalize the entire situation. S.H.I.E.L.D. was probably on edge and overeating to some gossip they heard about Loki being in New Mexico. They probably panicked and randomly selected a bunch of people that might be important. This was all just part of human paranoia. Nothing was going to happen to her. Her and Erik would be relocated to an new location and start a brand new life somewhere else.

Erik climbed into the seat next to them and closed the door. "We're being split up."

"What..." Jane said.

"If Loki finds one of us, they don't want him to find the other," Erik explained.

"That's...not fair," Jane said.

"I know," Erik replied. "They're taking me to Alamogordo and you two are traveling through Roswell. They want to get us to Mexico before Loki's army takes over Albuquerque."

"No, I want to go with you," Jane protested.

"I don't really have much of a choice in the matter," Erik pointed out.

Jane instantly fell quiet and let her thoughts take over again. What if Loki did come after her? Her mind went to his green eyes filled with such hate, such darkness. That sickening sneer she always saw on her television set. She knew what he was capable of. And, what would he do if he found her? What would he do to Erik and Darcy? _No, no, no, no._ She could not think about it. It was just too much for her to process right now.

"I'm just scared I won't see you again," Jane said, whipping a few stray tears.

"Me too, Jane," Erik replied. "Me too..."

* * *

As the van sped down the highway, Brennan constantly tried to make conversation. Though he was nice enough, Jane wanted very little to do with these agents. Even though they claimed to be protecting her, it was just too hard to trust anyone these days. Besides that, she doubted that they even cared. They were just doing their jobs...taking orders. She did not feel safe around them.

Although Morris was pretty well-build, Jane wasn't sure that Brennan guy would help much if a situation broke out. The guy was as thin as a toothpick. As soon as the one of the Chitauri got a hold of them, they'd probably snap him like a twig. Perhaps he was good with weapons? God, she hoped so for her sake.

Thousands of scenarios played in her mind as they flew down the road. Her current scenario involved Loki simply materializing in front of the van. He stood in his golden, horned helmet. His cape was being whisked in the wind, back and forth...back and forth. He sneered mercilessly and outstretched his scepter. A ball of blue light formed at the tip, and then...no. She was just thinking too much. Over analyzing. Panicking. She needed to take her mind off these awful scenarios in her head.

Conversation. That might help.

"I know we're going to Mexico, but can you at least tell us which city we're going to be relocated to?" Jane asked.

"No," Morris said bluntly.

"Can you at least turn on the radio?" Darcy said.

"They don't play music on the radio anymore, remember?" Jane reminded.

"Oh...just Loki's crap. I almost forgot," Darcy replied.

Dread filled every crevice of her body as the van slowed. Brennan parked the car behind another black van identical to their own. This was it. This just might be the last time she would see Erik. Jane swallowed the bile forming in the back of her throat. If this was the last time...

"Get your things. Say your goodbyes. Be quick," Morris commanded. "We don't have to time to fuck around."

"Erik..." Jane said as tears finally started falling from her eyes.

"It's going to be alright, Jane. You have Darcy to take care of you."

"I know, but..."

Erik just hugged her. "I'll see you soon, okay. Darcy, take care of her for me."

"I will," Darcy said, mostly just to say something.

"Erik..." Jane breathed.

"Come on, _we have to go!_" Morris shouted.

With that, Erik climbed out of the van and shut the door behind him. He gave Jane one last glance through the window, and then, he followed Brennan to the other van. Another awful jolt of dread shot through Jane's body once Brennan returned without Erik. This couldn't be the last time she saw him. She refused to believe that Erik was out of her life forever.

"It's gonna be fine," Darcy said reassuringly.

"How is this in _any way_ fine, Darcy?" Jane spat in between sobs.

"Relax, I'm sure we'll meet up with him in Mexico or something," Darcy said reassuringly.

"I don't have time for your tears right now, Miss Foster," Morris interrupted. "Listen up, because I hate repeating myself. We're going to Roswell. Once we get there, we're going to stay in a motel for the night. I've already booked us two rooms. Darcy we'll be with me. Jane, you're going with Brennan. Both Brennan and I will have a radio. If any of the Chitauri invades one of our rooms, we will alert the other agent. In this event, you will run and not look back. Do I make myself _perfectly, one hundred percent_ clear?"

"Yes," Darcy and Jane replied in unison.

Brennan twisted around in the driver's seat to face them. "Loki will most likely look for Selvig since he is the more experienced scientist. It's highly unlikely that you will come in contact with him. If this does happen...whatever you do, do not try to fight him. If you can, try and find a method of escape. We will issue you each a pill in case you are captured. It will kill you in nine seconds. I high advise that you do this. He is not a merciful man. If he captures you, he will probably either torture you or turn you into one of his mindless slaves."

If she wasn't scared to death already, this would have been enough to send Jane over the edge. "We understand."

* * *

The next three hours were excruciatingly long. They had one brief stop at the gas station where gas was roughly twenty dollars a gallon. This didn't surprise Jane much since inflation was on the rise in any territory out of Loki's regime. Despite the high price on merchandise, Brennan bought a bunch of snacks anyways. Unfortunately, this pissed Morris off and he flew into a rage. At first, he stood outside of the car throwing a huge tantrum. _And, I can't even get a damned refund, because no one gives refunds anymore! You stupid...stupid...stupid idoit! We need to conserve every dollar we have! Do you think this is just some game! _The next ten minutes, Brennan and Morris argued down the road. Brennan eventually gave Morris a Twinkie as some sort of peace offering. _Look, here I'll _share. Then, finally...silence, and how very golden it was.

Just as night began to fall, Brennan pulled the van up into an old, beat up motel. Although Jane was glad to be out of that stuffy van, she admitted the motel didn't seem much more inviting. The faded sign hung side ways from one rusty nail and creaked as it swayed in the wind. _The King's Pillow_. Seriously. What a stupid name.

Thankfully, this would only be for a night though. Morning would come and they'd be on their way to Mexico. She hoped Erik would be there. For some reason, she doubted she'd see him for awhile. It was a soothing thought though, and it was all she had at the moment.

"Morris already made reservations," Brennan commented. "He's going to get our room keys for us now."

"Why can't we all just sleep in the same room?" Jane asked.

"Morris explained already. It's just in case the Chitauri break into one of our rooms. The other pair still has a chance to escape..."

"Look, I doubt Loki would want anything to with this hotel," Jane said. "I mean, surely he acts like he's some kind of _King_-" Jane eyed the sign, "But I doubt his royal highness would want anything to do with a dump like this. So, please, can we just all sleep in the same room? It will be a lot cheaper."

Brennan pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "It's all safety protocol. My boss makes these rules to keep the both of you as safe as possible."

Morris returned from the office and handed a plastic card to Brennan. There was some advertisement for _Pizza Hut_ plastered on the card. Jane doubted very seriously that the place was still open though.

"Be ready at five A.M. tomorrow. We need to move fast," Morris ordered.

Jane followed Brennan. She hated the idea of being alone with a man she barely knew, but she supposed that it was better than rooming with Morris. He wasn't exactly all sunshine and rainbows after all. She followed Brennan to their room. After sliding the plastic key in the key hole, he pushed the dusty door open to reveal their tiny room. Thankfully, there was two twin beds instead of just one. There was no way in hell she was going to share a bed with an unfamiliar man.

Jane aimlessly picked the bed closest to the door and flopped down on it. She let out a deep breath. "If you want to watch TV, make sure you turn on the subtitles. I really want to get some rest."

"Jane, look...I know you're scared, confused, frustrated-" Brennan paused, "but we're just trying to keep the both of you safe. If Loki does find you, he'll turn you into one of his mindless slaves."

"It's fine, alright," Jane spat. "I just don't want to think about it anymore. So, please...just let me go to sleep."

"You know what, you could really use a drink," he said.

That was random. "What?"

"At the gas station, I managed to buy some vodka while Morris was in the bathroom. I'm not dealing with this new world order very well either. Sometimes...alcohol helps."

Jane weighed his offer and agreed, "Yeah...that might help a little."

Brennan retrieved two plastic cups that laid on the desk and unwrapped the plastic around them. Just the sound of pouring alcohol was already making her feel a little at ease. Brennan placed a plastic cup full of vodka on her nightstand and took a seat on the bed parallel to her's.

"This should take the edge off a bit," he said before taking a sip.

Jane took a long sip and swallowed. "So, why did you join S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"I have a background in computers. S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted me for those skills. I didn't have much of a choice but to join."

"I didn't think that they forced you to join," Jane replied.

"Well, they don't," he replied. "It was either that or rot in jail.

A deep, awful pit formed in her stomach. "Jail? For what?"

"I don't think that I should have went to jail," he whispered. "Other people just have these terrible perceptions about people like me."

Every inch of her skin began to tingle like thousands of needles were piercing through her. "I'm sorry I'm not quite following you."

All of a sudden, her head began to spin. She felt herself fall back against the bed. Jane tried desperately to get herself to move, but her body wouldn't budge. Panic began to flow through every inch of her veins. Her heart was racing uncontrollably as she heard his footsteps approaching her.

"I really, really hate this job, but I hate being in jail more. I'm not much of a fighter. I doubt I would have lived much longer in their. The other inmates weren't that nice to me, because I did things they didn't agree with. It's nice that I don't have Fury around anymore. He was always watching me like a hawk. He didn't want to hire me, but as the battle against Loki got worse...he didn't have much of a choice."

"What are you even talking about?" she asked, her voice now slurred.

"You...a really pretty girl. I had to do it this way. I don't want you to scream or anything. I mean, I like it better when they fight back, but I have to be more discrete. Morris actually doesn't care, but I don't want your friend finding out or anything."

"Finding out about what?" Jane asked.

"If you say anything about this, Morris and I will tell S.H.I.E.L.D. That both you and Erik were working for Loki," his hand started to stroke her hair slowly.

"What are you going to do to me?" Jane whispered, but somehow, she already knew.

"I think you already know," he said darkly.

"Please," Jane begged. "Please don't do this..."

She couldn't speak anymore. She couldn't even move so much as blink. She was still awake though. Her heart now hammered against her chest as he climbed on top of her, started unbuttoning her top...

No, god no. Of all the awful things that could happen to her, Jane didn't want to live through something like this.

To Be Continued

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER!** Jane and Loki meet. Please review. That would be so awesome. Tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Falling, falling, falling...

A sharp, piercing pain stabbed through her head as her body weightlessly fell through an endless void of darkness. Jane allowed herself to look up and she saw Erik falling in the opposite direction further and further from her until he was nothing more than a tiny spec in the distance. Multiple figures circled around her. The first figured sat cross legged as her fingers drummed against her MacBook. She peered up at Jane through her glasses and proceeded to go into great detail about the latest episode of _Game of Thrones_. There was a cloaked man holding a golden scepter. The blue light from the tip of his scepter illuminated the wicked grin on his face. He pointed the scepter towards her and demanded that she kneel before him. The next figures were a middle age couple splattered with blood while crying out her name, begging for god to let her live.

Then, there was a man she barely recognized. He was tall and as thin as a twig. He ran a lazy hand though his rusty red hair as he smiled deviously. She knew he had a name..._Brennan_. He was supposed to protect her from something, but for some reason she could not place, she didn't trust him like she should. He did something wrong, but she just couldn't recall what it was. The people around her started to fade one by one. _Darcy_,_ Loki, her parents_. Jane glanced up in panic searching for the spec that was Erik, but there was nothing above her. Her eyes glanced back and only one remained. Brennan. He began to approach her step by agonizing step. "It's just you and me Jane."

Jane drew in a deep, coarse breath as her eyes snapped open. She twitched slightly to the sound of a loud snore. A dark feeling flowed through her as she turned her head very slowly to see Brennan sleeping next to her. That bastard, he didn't even have the decency to sleep in the other bed.

Mentally Jane counted to three before silently sliding out of the bed. A sickening feeling tingled across her skin as her bare feet touched a pair of suit pants crumbled on the floor. Jane's breath quickened in to a series of sharp, uncontrolled breaths. She shut her eyes and forced herself to count to three once more. Once she opened her eyes, she spotted her garments lumped in between his white dress shirt and suit jacket.

_Oh god, I'm going to throw up._

Jane tip toed towards the bathroom, making sure to be as soundless as she possibly could. As soon as she reached the bathroom, she shut the door quietly and made extra sure to lock it behind her. She glanced at the shower to her right wanting so desperately to wash every inch of her body clean. That might wake him though, and the last thing she wanted to deal with right now was _him_.

There was a knock at the door. "Jane, we need to go."

"Okay," she forced a reply. "Just give me a minute."

"Whatever," he replied.

Dozens of ideas filled her head as she tried to think of some sort of escape plan, but most of them seemed absolutely impossible. As of now, she would have to travel with him, and there was nothing she could do but go along with it. Jane brushed away a tear with the back of thumb. It wouldn't be for long though. Soon, she would relocated and she wouldn't have to see him again. That thought was enough to give her just a small bit of hope.

* * *

"Once we're into Mexico," Morris informed, "there is a smaller chance that we will be abducted. Loki or the Chitauri have little recorded activity in Mexico."

Though this statement should have offered her some relief, it did not. For the past few months, Loki was a constant fear to her, but now she was completely numb to it this fear. The politics surrounding the new world were no longer of importance to her. Nothing seemed important aside from reunited with Erik, and the more she thought about it, the more she believed she was unlikely to see him in the near future.

"Shit, I forgot my passport!" Darcy exclaimed.

"The border isn't heavily guarded anymore," Brennan informed. "With all this Loki crap going on, what little government we have left doesn't have time to deal with small matters such as illegal immigration."

Her stomach twisted and turned at the sound of his disgusting voice. Now...if only she could get a hold of that staff of Loki's...oh, the things she would do with it if she had it in her hands at this very moment. Jane forced back her deranged thoughts and spoke, "I think Darcy and I deserve an explanation. I want to know where we will be staying."

"I've already informed you that you will know when we get there," Morris snapped.

"But, what does it even matter? It's not like we have Loki on speed dial or anything," Darcy argued. "I don't even have phone service anymore. There's like no way I'm just going to contact him."

Brennan groaned before finally giving in. "We're assigned to S.H.I.E.L.D. housing in Mexico City."

"_We're_?" Jane quivered.

"Yes," Morris said. "All four of us are assigned to a house on S.H.I.E.L.D. grounds. I'm not sure if they will relocate us soon, but your new living conditions will be far superior your old ones. S.H.I.E.L.D. will provide you with food and safety."

So, this was how she was going to live for god knows how long. Her stomach lurched as her brain processed this new information. A twisted, sickening feeling shot through her in waves. Brennan would violate her again...probably every single day, and maybe even Darcy too.

"And, Erik?" Jane questioned.

"Dr. Selvig is assigned to a different housing arrangement," Morris said. "Until the military gets a handle on the Loki situation, we have to keep both of you separate."

"We're not going to win," Jane said gravely. Morris turned back and stared her down, but Jane continued anyways, "I doubt our military can _get a handle_ on a god and his army of super soldiers."

No one said a single word. Really though, there was nothing that could be said. It was the cold truth. Loki had won and the entire world was at his mercy. The few countries that challenge him did it out of a sense of pride more than anything else. This fact was obvious to her months ago, and she started to wonder why she didn't move to Colorado like anyone else with a brain. If her and Erik just put away their pride for a day, none of this would have happened. Yes, they would live under Loki's rule, but it now seemed better than her upcoming future.

Jane folded her arms stubbornly. "I'm not saying I'm on his side, but I don't understand why anyone is trying to fight anymore."

"Because it's the right thing," Brennan replied.

"And, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" she spat.

"Alright, let's all just calm down," Darcy said. "I know this whole thing sucks, but let's just try to get along."

"Whatever," Jane said bitterly.

Brennan slowed the car next to a pump in a beat up gas station. Once the car came to a complete stop, Jane swung the door open.

"Miss Foster, stay in the car!" Morris ordered.

"I don't give a damn if Loki appears right now and kills me. I am tired of being ordered around by you. I'm not even part of your little organization! I just want some damn air," Jane slammed the van door violently and stormed off.

Jane threw open the gas station door. The shelves were as barren as the New Mexican desert. There would be a candy bar here or a pack of donuts there, but very little food remained. Jane spotted a case of bear in the back apparently being sold for thirty bucks. Jesus, things were getting bad. It was just downright depressing to even look at it.

Jane exited out the back door and crouched. Right now, she just wanted to be left alone with her thoughts. She entertained the idea of stealing the van and making a run for Colorado. Her mind calculated the gas prices and instantly she tossed the idea out. Aside from the gas prices, she didn't even have a road map to guide her to her destination. Another part of her wanted to steal the car and just drive until she found civilization, but that seemed just as ridiculous as her previous idea. Why did she even think of these escape plans? She knew deep down she wouldn't live longer than a week without a dollar to her name.

"Hey," Jane lifted her gaze to see Darcy crouching next to her.

"Hey," Jane replied.

"Is something wrong?" Darcy asked. "You've been like...different."

"Yeah...losing my life...running from Loki. It'll do that to you."

"I guess it's all sinking in now, huh?" Darcy replied.

"Just a little," she said sarcastically.

A few feet from them, Jane spotted an old man with a cane smoking a cigarette. She had never even touched a cigarette in her entire life, but now it seemed oh so tempting. She paced over to the man and forced a smile upon her face. "Um...sir, could you spare a cigarette?"

"It's my last pack," the old man said as he glanced at her through sunken gray eyes. "Oh, what the hell! I'm going to have to quit eventually."

The old man flipped open a pack of Camel's and handed her a single cigarette. Jane placed the cigarette in between her index and middle finger and placed it between her lips. The man stoked a single matched and placed it on the tip of her cigarette. She inhaled against the small stick, removed the cigarette from her mouth, and exhaled a huge cloud of gray smoke. She always imagined it to be different, but smoking was somehow relaxing. She supposed it wouldn't be so addicting had it been any different.

"You should get away from those guys," the man commented. "They'll end up getting you killed. If even one person snitches you out, those Chitauri creatures are soon to follow."

Jane took another drag before saying, "Believe me...if I could get away, I would."

"There's always a way out," he commented.

"Not always," Jane replied. "They took all my money and food rations. I don't have much else to do."

"Why are you even with them?" he asked. "You don't seem to be the type to be hanging around with those suits. Maybe I'm wrong, but you don't look like you could put up much of a fight."

"They said I shouldn't tell anyone..." she began, but what did she care anymore, "I'm an astrophysicist...a scientist that studies various theories about space. I guess they think I could be of some sort of use to Loki, but I doubt it."

"Everyone is so paranoid these days," he replied.

"Yeah," she replied with a sarcastic snort.

She glanced down at her now burnt out cigarette. "Hey, could I get another light?"

"Certainly," he replied.

The man struck another match. Jane eagerly pressed the cigarette to the flame and closed her eyes as she inhaled. _Jane, Jane..._she could hear Darcy shout but she ignored it. Right now she didn't want a lecture about the dangers of smoking. She threw her head back and exhaled a large cloud of smoke. Her eyes snapped back open as she lowered her gaze. The old man no longer stood before her, and panic shot through her as she gazed before her. The cigarette slipped between her fingers as she stared at the tall, cloaked figure before her. _Why are you even with them?_ It all started to sink in now.

"Loki..." she said almost breathlessly. Jane attempted to take a step backwards, but stumbled backwards instead. She expected that she would be...well, _afraid_...if this situation actually arose. She was just numb. It just didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore.

"Jane!" she heard Brennan scream. "What the hell are you doing? _Run, damn it_!"

And, if they managed to get away, she would could possibly live her entire life with that sick man. "Loki..._your highness_...I really, really don't care what you do to those men. Please...please...just don't hurt Darcy though. She was just my intern a few months ago. She doesn't deserve any of this."

"I have no intentions of hurting you or your intern," he said almost soothingly.

"I'll do anything," she begged. "I'll work for you...just don't..."

This was too much...all of this was just too much for her to process. Losing Erik, being on the run, Brennan violating her, and now she was face to face with the most dangerous man in the world. Her vision started to blur as her world seemed to spin in circles. _Jane...jane!_ The last thing she heard was Darcy screaming her name before she collapsed.

To Be Continued

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Sorry it took a bit to get the next chapter posted. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Also, if you watch the show _Once Upon a Time_, I've working a Rumpelle fanfiction as well. Check it out if you're interested. Reviews are great. Thanks for all the reviews in the last chapter. I honestly didn't expect to get so much response.


	3. Chapter 3

Again, thank you so much for your reviews! You guys are freaking _awesome_! Also, if you have an account, leave a signed review. I will be sure to PM you a reply! Also, it's been four years since I've been to Las Vegas. I'm going by memory of what the MGM Grand looked like. There may be some mistakes. I apologize for any inaccuracies.

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Chapter 3

The sun just began to set when Jane finally rose from her slumber. The last time she woke she was in a beat up motel in Roswell. Now she awoke on a couch in some luxury suite. Jane tried to recall her current location as her memories returned to her. _Loki_. Yes, she remembered surrendering to him in exchange for both her and Darcy's safety, and now she was at his mercy. This was a lot to process to say the least.

"Darcy," Jane called out meekly.

Jane did not receive a response though. She threw the comforter off her body and searched her surroundings. Jane spotted a sliding glass door that led to a balcony. She paced towards the door and slid it open. She peered over the balcony and saw that she was probably several floors from the ground. So much for any sort of escape attempt she had in mind. What did it matter anyways? She probably wouldn't last a day without any source of income. How far could one run without even a dollar to her name?

_Darcy_.

Finding her former intern was now at the top of her priority list. She exited the balcony and closed the sliding glass door shut. Once she spotted the door, she opened it and cautiously glanced down the hallway. How strange? The room wasn't heavily guarded at all. She suspected that Loki would at least set up some sort of security around the room in case an escape attempt was made.

Jane spotted an elevator at the end of the hall. She took in a long, deep breath and made her way toward the elevator. She pressed the downward arrow as her heart pounded against her chest. The elevator opened and she stepped inside. She glanced at all the buttons and selected the ground floor. That seemed like a reasonable place to start her search for Darcy.

A ding sounded as the elevator doors slid open. She paced around the lobby until she came across a large golden lion statue. In front of the statue was a map and in the left hand corner of the map it read..._MGM Grand_. She was in Las Vegas, Nevada, and she just so happened to be asleep in one of their most expensive luxury suites. How long had she been asleep anyways? Wasn't Las Vegas at least a sixteen hour drive from her last known location?

On the map, Jane spotted the _West Wing Bar_. Knowing Darcy, this would be her most likely location. Jane memorized exactly where this bar was from her location and proceeded to find Darcy. Once she reached the West Wing Bar, she entered and scanned the room. At the main bar, she spotted Darcy flirting with some man dressed in an expensive looking suit. Darcy took a sip of her drink and let out an obnoxiously loud laugh.

"Darcy!" Jane shouted.

Darcy took her attention from the man and smiled as she locked eyes with Jane. Instantly, she excused herself from her current conversation and darted over to Jane. "Jane, you're awake! Come on, let's get fucked up!"

"Wait...what?" Jane asked.

Darcy whined. "We're in _Las Vegas_. You have to party with me!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Jane replied. "Darcy, we don't even have anymore money."

"We don't have to pay," Darcy informed. "We can get whatever we want. It's freaking awesome!"

"Then, tell me, who's going to pay for it?" Jane asked.

"Loki," Darcy said. "Jane this was the best decision you've ever made! I'm going to see if he'll get me a Louis Vuitton bag!"

Jane rolled her eyes at Darcy's last statement. "Darcy, you need to tell me what happened when I passed out. I'm having a hard time making sense of all of this."

"Let's find a place to sit down," Darcy replied and eyed a table in the corner. She motioned a cocktail waitress toward them and said, "Hey, can you get us two Sex on the Beaches? Make them extra strong."

"Of course, Miss Lewis," the waitress said cordially.

Jane followed Darcy to the table and sat down with her arms crossed firmly. She tossed Darcy a glare and said. "Just because we surrendered doesn't mean we're on his side, Darcy. I don't understand why you're so thrilled about this. _I sold both of us out_. You should be upset with me."

"I don't really care," Darcy said. "I didn't want to go to Mexico City with those douche bags and eat Spam and Campell's soup for the rest of my life. Jane, I had to sleep in a shitty hotel with Morris. Do you know what he did? He put on a porn tape while I was trying to sleep. If we were escorted by different agents, I might have been more angry with your decision, but, I'm living the life now! I could care less about doing _the right thing_."

If only her night consisted of listening to some porn tape, that would have been much better than her fate. Darcy really had no idea that she got the better deal. "So...what...happened to them?"

"The last thing I remember is that they were tied up in the trunk of Loki's car," Darcy said. "I guess he has future plans with those guys. I'm not sure what he plans to do with them though."

_Hopefully something very horrible_. "Oh...well, it doesn't matter to me, but Darcy...I think something's a bit off here. I just don't get why Loki would be so nice to us."

"I'm not worried about it," Darcy said. "Hey...would you judge me if I tried to sleep with him?"

"_Darcy_...are you out of your mind!" Jane hissed.

"Come on! He's hot, he has infinite money, and he kind of rules the world almost," Darcy pointed out. "Oh and he's a god."

"He's also murdered a lot of people," Jane whispered. "Are you forgetting any of that?"

"You're the one that so graciously surrendered," Darcy reminded.

"I don't even want to get into that right now," Jane spat.

"I wanted to get away from those S.H.I.E.L.D. guys too," Darcy said. "I'm not judging you or anything."

The waitress returned with their drinks and set them on the table. Darcy opened her wallet and gave the waitress a few dollars for a tip. Jane took a long sip of her drink as Darcy lit a cigarette. She eyed it tentatively, and revisited the last time she smoked a cigarette. It did calm her nerves just a bit.

"You want one," she asked.

"I guess," she said.

Darcy slid a cigarette and a lighter across the table. Without a thought, Jane lit the cigarette and inhaled a long drag. It was in this moment that she noticed that her behavior was becoming more and more destructive, and oddly, it didn't seem to bother her as much as she believed it would. She contemplated how she would react if Darcy had any harder substances in her possession. Just the thought of what she might do scared her to death.

"Jane, _oh my god_, Loki legalized marijuana," Darcy exclaimed. "Isn't that awesome?"

"Uh...okay, I guess so," Jane said. "Where is Loki, anyways?"

"He said he had important stuff to do," Darcy replied. "He gave me some money and told me to take care of you when you woke up."

"And...you decided to go to the bar instead?" Jane scolded.

"I was _bored_," Darcy whined. "I'm in freaking Vegas. Come on!"

"You know what, it's fine," Jane breathed. "I'm glad that you're safe. I'm glad that I'm safe."

Most importantly, Jane was glad to be away from Brennan.

"Hell yeah," Darcy shouted. "So, let's get some drinks to celebrate!"

As the night went on, Jane stopped drinking mixed drinks and turned to straight shots. With each shot the thought of Brennan slowly exited her mind. Life seemed so simple like this. Her problems seemed to vanish and there was just this surreal, emotionless feeling that took over. Darcy's blurred form laughed, and almost automatically Jane started laughing with her even though she had no idea why she was laughing at all.

The next thing Jane remembered was Darcy opening the door to their room. Jane laughed for no apparently reason and almost fell forward. Thankfully, Darcy caught her before she hit the floor._"Whoa girl, _you are _fucked_ up!"

Jane just let another ridiculous laugh and said, "I'm not that bad."

"Whatever," Darcy said teasingly as guided Jane to a nearby couch.

Jane watched as Darcy poured her a glass of water. She sat down next Jane and placed the glass in front of her. "Hey, I just thought of something! We could be in Mexico City right now instead with those two-"

That was enough to kill her mood. "Darcy, I don't even want to talk about them anymore."

Earlier all the alcohol in her system created some sort of escape. Now it was bringing out all of her insecurities. Every fear she held was being amplified, and she started to feel herself fall into some sort of ridiculous panic. The huge, drunken smile that was once across her lips was now gone.

"What's wrong?" Darcy said, recognizing her swift change in behavior.

"It's nothing," Jane said.

"It doesn't sound like nothing," Darcy replied. "If it's about your choice, it's okay. Really...no one is judging you."

"I'm just having a tough time right now," Jane said. "I wish I could just say 'fuck it' like you...I really do."

"Maybe you should just get some rest," Darcy suggested

"Yeah...that does sound nice," she agreed.

Jane leaned against the arm rest on the couch and curled her legs close to her chest. The memories of Brennan violating her started to poison her mind once more. Not only that, but there was also the fear that she would never see Erik again. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as Jane wondered if she would ever be the same again. Probably not...

Probably not.

* * *

The next thing Jane felt was feeling of a knife thrusting through her head again and again. She sat up and clutched her head, trying to will away the pain somehow. Heavy drinking evidently had some terrible draw backs. She glanced next to her and noticed that Darcy no longer sat next to her. She let out a deep groan and leaned back into the couch.

"Oh right," Jane whispered to herself. "Bars are open 24 hours in Vegas."

"Miss Foster," Jane froze like a block of ice.

She supposed it was only a matter of time before this event finally occurred. Jane cautiously glanced behind her to meet Loki's piercing gaze. Her breath hitched nervously as she contemplated how to handle this situation. The first thing she thought of was listing off all of his atrocities, but deep down, she knew that this would be a terrible way to start their future partnership. Wasn't she the one that proposed that she work for him back at the gas station in Texas, anyways? The least she could do was hold up to her end of the bargain.

"Your highness," she said in an uneasy tone.

"Darcy decided to go out tonight," Loki commented. "She said she wanted to go to some place called the _Spearmint Rhino_. I'm not quite sure what kind of establishment it is, but she seemed very enthusiastic about visiting it."

_Seriously_?

"It's a uh...gentleman's club," Jane answered as Loki raised an eyebrow. "It's a place where men pay women to uh...dance topless for them...or women in this case."

"That doesn't sound very gentlemanly," Loki commented.

"I don't get it either," Jane replied.

There was a small moment of silence between them. Loki paced over to the couch parallel to where she was sitting. He said down and looked her directly in the eye. Jane had to pull her gaze away from him. It was one thing to see his dark, cruel eyes on her television set, but seeing them face to face was absolutely horrifying. Jane was absolutely stunned at how well she was able to keep calm in his presence. A month ago she suspected that she would have gone into a full on melt down if this situation were ever to occur.

"I don't understand any of this," Jane said. "Is this how you treat everyone that surrenders to you?"

"I'd say this is a first," Loki replied.

"Why though?" Jane asked.

Loki smiled. "I require your specialties. I have this this object known as the Tesseract. I require someone of your expertise to aid me in utilizing it."

"I've heard of it," Jane spoke. "I thought you already had someone though."

"He perished in Manhattan," Loki stated. "Although I do have quite an army already, it would be beneficial if I could have access to the rest."

So, this is what her new job was? She was going to aid this man that invaded her planet and completely ripped it apart. Her insides were practically screaming at her, begging her to just end her life right then and now. If only she had the guts to kill herself, but she knew that she could never bring herself to commit such an act.

"I'm not sure how much I could help you, but I guess could take a look at it."

Loki smiled. "So easily you oblige Miss Foster...yet you so easily accepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s assistance as well. I'm not entirely sure whether you are trustworthy."

"It's a complicated situation," Jane selected her words carefully.

"Isn't it always?" Loki replied, staring her down like a lion staring down it's prey. "See, I'm curious as to why you were so desperate to be rid of S.H.I.E.L.D. You remember our previous conversation, do you not?"

"I do remember, and I have my reasons," Jane stated vaguely.

"Don't we all?" he said. "I do admit that Fury was foolish to employ these..._agents_. I suppose he is getting rather desperate lately though. If you weren't already aware, both Brennan and Morris have a criminal history. Brennan being a registered sex offender, and Morris has quit a history of trafficking methamphetamine."

"I had no idea," Jane replied, keeping her voice steady. "They showed up at my house and promised to keep me safe. They told me that we would live in Mexico. I'm sure you already know about the dangers of drug cartels in Mexico. I didn't feel safe living there."

Although she was well aware of Brennan's history, Morris's history took her off guard. The most she knew about methamphetamine was from watching _Breaking Bad_ with Erik. She remembered that it portrayed addicts of that specific drug of being practically skin and bones. Perhaps he just dealt the drug to civilians and didn't partake in it himself? It didn't much matter anymore though. So long as both her and Darcy were safe, Jane would play Loki's game.

"I assure you that once I get around to it," Loki noted, "Mexico will not have that problem anymore."

Deep down inside, Jane knew that Loki did not buy her story. As long as he didn't question her further, she saw no reason to divulge anything to him. Maybe it would come up in the future, but for now, she would keep her history with Brennan to herself. "So, about this Tesseract. I'll be willing to help you as long as Darcy and I have immunity. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, Miss Foster, I will guarantee you and Miss Lewis a comfortable lifestyle if you assist me," Loki agreed.

And, that was that. It felt as if she were selling her soul to the devil, but Jane no longer delved into her morality. At this point, she was long passed arguing with herself about right or wrong. Self preservation was now her number one priority.

"Then, I'm at your service," she said.

To Be Continued

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I toned down the angst this chapter. I didn't want to overdo it or anything. I'm trying to take the Jane and Loki plot slow though. I don't want it to get cheesy. So, I started with something simple. Tell me what you think. Reviews are love. Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey, sorry it took me so long to write the next chapter. Writers block hit me very hard. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter!_

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Chapter 4

Groggily, Jane turned over and tried to force herself back to sleep. There was a part of her that wished that she could just sleep forever. Jane tossed her covers to the side and reluctantly crawled out of her bed. On the bed parallel to hers, she saw Darcy sprawled out on her stomach still dressed in her street clothes. Jane assumed that Darcy had simply passed out from drinking too much.

She gazed outside the sliding glass door; it was still dark outside. Jane slid the door open and stepped outside on the balcony. The wind whisked her hair and blue night gown through the air as Jane peered over the edge. For a moment, she contemplated just leaping off the edge of the balcony, but quickly banished that thought as soon as it came.

She quietly closed the door behind her, and paced over to the bathroom. She closed the door quietly behind her, and pulled her nightgown off. She turned both of the silver, rectangular knobs and waited for the tub to fill. She noticed a TV hanging from the wall above the bathtub, and could only imagine how Darcy reacted when she discovered it. Jane grabbed the remote from the counter and switched the TV on. To her surprise, there was actually regular programing on.

Jane flipped through the channels till she stopped on HBO. It was playing _TrueBlood, _one of Darcy's _shows_. She wondered if _Bank of America _still existed in Loki's territories and decided she'd ask him later. She still had four hundred dollars into her account before they shut down service in New Mexico, and although she was being luxuriously accommodated, a stubborn part of her still wanted her money returned to her.

Jane switched the knobs off and slid into the warm tub. She watched some scene transpiring between a blonde woman and a blond man that she assumed was a vampire. Jane had trouble following the plot and decided she'd ask Darcy later (whom she assumed would give her a very detailed description of the whole series). She watched as the two characters shared a passionate kiss as they walked backwards threw a door...

Jane snatched the remote from her left and shut the TV off.

Jane noticed that her fingers were now shaking uncontrollably. She swallowed nervously as she tried to calm her nerves. Jane seized the shampoo bottle next to her and squeezed out a small dollop in the palm of her hands. Her shaking hands ran the shampoo through her hair. Then, Jane closed her eyes and slid underneath the water.

The warm water alleviated some of her anxiety. She opened her eyes and stared at the rippling water above her. It was almost peaceful in some way. She pulled herself back up from the water and drew in a deep breath. Jane pulled herself from the bathtub. Her eyes spotted a robe laid on the counter and wrapped it around her. Jane decided that she needed to keep her mind active to take her mind off that awful _memory_.

Her first thought was to see if Darcy had woken up. Darcy was usually very good at holding a conversation – although most of the times it tended to be about herself or her interests. Still, it was better than being alone. So, Jane paced back into her bedroom only to find that Darcy was still deep in her slumber.

She could feel her body tremble as her memories started to catch up with her. So, quickly, she exited the room and flew down a flight of stairs. She spotted the kitchen and entered. She searched the cabinets and found some coffee. Her hands shook as she poured the coffee into a filter and placed it inside the coffee maker before starting a fresh pot. Finally, Jane leaned her back against the opposite counter, her finger tapping the slick white counter top as she anxiously watched the coffee slowly pour.

"Ah, Miss Foster, you are finally awake," she heard from behind her.

She recognized his voice instantly. Her body tensed up, and quickly, she averted her gaze to the black and white checkered floor.

"I recovered this from your belongings."

Loki dropped a notebook onto the counter. Jane's eyes lit up as she recognized the notebook in front of her – her precious research. She snatched the notebook from the counter as her fingers eagerly flipped through the pages. "I forgot I brought that with me – thank you."

Jane set the notebook back down on the counter. "May I ask you a question?"

"You may," Loki replied. "Whether I give you an answer is entirely up to me."

Jane's mind flashed to Brennan's twisted grin briefly before she asked, "What did you do to Morris and Brennan?"

"They are currently in my custody," he replied. "That is all that you need to know."

"I really don't care what happens to them," she admitted without thinking. "I'm just curious I guess."

_You are going to hurt them, right?_ That was what Jane wanted to ask next, but this time she refrained from speaking.

She averted her gaze back towards the pouring coffee. Her emotions began to stir within her, and relentlessly, they started to attack her. Her gaze began to blur as she felt tears sting the corners of her eyes. Really, there was no way she could conceal her emotions anymore. It was obvious that she was falling apart emotionally.

"I'm sorry. It's just that–" she stammered as her palms wiped at her eyes. "It's just that I'm having a hard time processing the past two days."

Her hands now shook uncontrollably. Logic collided with her emotions as she now understood the full weight of her situation. The fear of contracting an sexual transmitted disease or worse, being pregnant invaded her mind. Her entire body trembled with fear as she thought of several different scenarios to both of those horrid thoughts. Her fear, her pain, her sorrow now held her tightly in their iron grasp.

"Jane," Loki called to her. It was the first time she could recall that he used her first name.

"I'm – I'm fine," she stammered. "I'm just – I just need some to eat or something."

She knew that he did not believe a word of it.

"I would say that this is an unusual reaction for someone that is mildly hungry," he replied.

"I know – I know," she shook her head as tears fled down her face and then, she repeated in a whisper, "I know."

She heard him take a few steps closer to her. She lowered her gaze as she watched her tears pepper the slick tile below her. She had abandoned any attempt to contain her emotions at this point.

"You wasted little time surrendering and asked immunity for your intern," he said. "_Yet_...you pay no mind to the fate of the men you were traveling with. I am hard pressed to believe that you aren't being entirely honest about your reason for surrender."

Her teeth nipped her bottom lip as her mind rushed to invent some excuse for her emotional outburst. Her mind spat back absolutely nothing.

"I just –" she started to say, but couldn't form any logical excuse for her behavior.

He said. "I suppose it would be best if I wait to your ready to disclose your secrets. We all have our demons. That is what you mortals call them, am I right?"

"Something like that, yes," Jane whispered.

He stood up and offered her a hand. "My lady, if I can recall correctly, you did say that you were hungry."

And, she wondered – what kind of demons was he keeping within himself?

* * *

Jane walked with Loki down the hall. As she went through the elevator, she saw a pair of young woman walking down the hall side by side. They pulled each other closer and whispered to each other. Jane wondered if they believed that she was Loki's lover, and instantly, her stomach flipped over as her anxiety caught up with her once more. Eventually, she assumed she might be televised with Loki, and Erik would see her with him. She wondered what he would think of her.

She wished she could write him a letter so she could explain her reasoning. Then, he might be able to understand even if he didn't agree with her decision. Then, she thought back to her reasoning, and the black hole in her attempted to spiral out of control again. Instantly, she searched for anything that would keep her mind off of the situation.

Conversation seemed like a good distraction.

"Uh...so...is this where we're going to stay for awhile?" Jane asked.

"I plan to return to New York in a week," he said. "You will come with me. As for Miss Lewis, I've made arrangements for her elsewhere."

"Oh..." Jane replied. "She's not coming with us, then?"

"No," he replied.

Although she would miss Darcy, she knew that it was probably best that she was no longer involved. It made Jane feel just a little bit better about her surrender. Darcy could now live a decent life, and in case the Avengers managed to prevail, she would not be charged as a war criminal.

"Am I coming with you?" Jane asked nervously.

"Yes," he replied. "I'd like to oversee your work."

Jane didn't know how she felt about this yet. So, she decided to stuff it tightly in back of her mind with the rest of her insecurities and difficult emotions.

They entered the restaurant and were instantly escorted by the hostess to a private room. She sat across the table from Loki. She turned to the hostess before she left and asked, "Do you have any cigarettes?"

"Of course!" she said with a smile. "I'll be right back."

Jane fell silent for a moment, and then said, "It's funny...I never actually touched a cigarette in my life until I asked you for one."

"I actually find them repulsive myself," he replied.

"I guess you're lucky I felt like smoking that day," Jane replied.

He laughed. "I suppose I am."

The hostess returned with a pack of _Camel Lights _and a lighter. Jane thanked her and lit her cigarette before taking a drag. She felt her anxiety dissipate slightly. No wonder these things were so addicting.

"They're not as bad as I thought they'd be," she took another hit and tapped her cigarette against the ash tray. "I don't think I want to live till I'm ninety anyways."

A waitress came in and took their order. Jane ordered a cup of coffee and Loki simply ordered a glass of water. Once she left, Jane asked, "So, when do I get to start my work?"

"I am hoping you can start reviewing some of the documents as soon as possible," he said.

"That's great," Jane replied, her enthusiasm surprising herself. "I can't wait to look at them."

To be honest, Jane admitted that working on the Tesseract was the only thing she looked forward too. She ignored that nagging thought in her mind that reminded her what Loki intended to use it for, and thought of all she could learn from working on the Tesseract.

"I wonder what else it can do," Jane wondered out loud as she took another hit from her cigarette. "I mean, maybe it can do more than open gateways to other dimensions. I'd hate for it to be used as a weapon, but..."

She felt Loki's eyes on her at that moment, and she swore she could feel the hairs raise on the back of her neck. She almost thanked the waitress for entering at that moment to diffuse the tension. Once the waitress set down her cup of coffee, Jane pulled it in front of her and stared into the dark, steaming liquid.

Once the waitress left, Loki asked, "Do you believe it could be used in such a way, Miss Foster?"

"Well...I uh..." she paused and gathered her thoughts. "I was thinking more on the lines of healing people, but maybe, it could be used for that...uh, purpose."

"As you may already know, I have many enemies," Loki said. "But, there is one in particular I would like to rid myself of."

"The Avengers?" Jane almost squeaked.

"No, a threat far more powerful," he said.

Jane was tempted to ask more, but decided it would not be wise to pry any further. Instead, she changed the subject. "So, you have the documents with you right now?"

"Yes, back in our room," Loki replied.

And, from there she tried keep their conversation on the Tesseract. Whatever this threat was, she assumed it would be best if she had nothing to do with it.

* * *

Jane opened the door to her room and saw Darcy in front of the TV. She walked over and took a seat next to Darcy.

"Where's Loki?" Darcy asked.

"He said he had stuff to do," Jane replied.

"Wait," Darcy said. "Did you go somewhere with him?"

"I ate dinner with him," she replied, trying to sound neutral.

Darcy turned around with an impish grin across her face. "So, like a date?"

"No!" Jane shouted defensively. "_Not_ _a date! _We talked over some of the material I'm going to be researching."

"If he makes a move, you should go for it," Darcy said.

"Do you even listen to me when I talk?" Jane hissed. "Look, I made decisions for reasons I'm not exactly in the mood to explain, but I guarantee you that sleeping with him was not among them!"

"Alright, alright," Darcy replied. "I just think being queen would be _pretty_ awesome."

Jane ignored her comment and tried to turn her focus to the show progressing on the screen. It appeared to be some show about a bunch of fairytale characters trapped in some small town.

"Jane?" Darcy asked. "Why did you surrender, anyways?"

Jane swallowed nervously. "Do you really want to know?"

Hell, maybe talking about it would make it a little bit easier on her. She turned her gaze towards Darcy and looked her straight in the eye.

"That night in Roswell..." Jane choked back a sob. "Brennan...he..."

"Jane," Darcy seemed to have read her mind. "Oh my god..."

Jane wiped her tears with the sleeve from her shirt. "And, I couldn't just go and live with him in Mexico. I couldn't let that happen again to me or _you_, okay. So, I had to make a choice, and I hope I made the right one."

"I'm _so_ sorry," Darcy whispered.

"I just don't know how to deal with it anymore," Jane finally said. "I have nightmares. I can't stop thinking about it. I keep wondering if I'll ever be normal again."

"Hey, it's going to be alright," Darcy replied. "As far as I know, we're safe here right now, alright. Brennan can't get to us, and I think if Loki really wanted to hurt you in the same way, he already would have. You'll just have to take it one day at a time.

Jane smiled slightly at Darcy's statement. "Okay...one day at a time."

One day at a time...

To Be Continued


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"This isn't fair!" Darcy trust the door open and slammed it behind her.

Jane peered over her notes and eyed Darcy as she approached her bed. This had probably been the first time she had seen Darcy upset since her surrender.

"What's going on?" Jane asked.

"Hasn't he already told you?" Darcy threw up her hands. "I'm not going to be coming with you guys!"

Oh, _that_. "He might have mentioned that yesterday, yeah."

"And, you just went along with it?"

"It wasn't my call, and I'm not exactly in the position to argue."

Darcy paced over to the sliding glass door and pull the curtains over as she gazed out the window. Jane reverted her gaze back to her notes.

"I bet it's because he likes you more than me!"

"Darcy, _seriously_?" Jane snapped her notebook shut and set it on her nightstand. "He wants me to do some research for him and has arranged a place for me to conduct this research. So, please stop turning this into some teenaged soap opera."

She wanted to add that she was annoyed by her friend's growing infatuation with Loki, but refrained from doing so. Instead, she folded her arms crossly and stared Darcy down. She was not in the mood for any of this right now, and she was going to make that damn clear.

Darcy advanced towards Jane's bed and threw herself on the opposite side. Darcy gave Jane a bitter glance, and then, frowned before she turned her gaze towards the ceiling.

And, within a split second, Jane went from being mildly annoyed to legitimately ticked off. "_Darcy_, what part of _ruthless dictator_ do you not understand?"

"I don't know," Darcy lowered her tone just a tad, "Last time I checked, you're doing his dirty work."

Jane bit back the rage that now threaten to boil over. "Darcy, _you_ know my reasons."

And, with that statement, Darcy's demeanor did a full one eighty. "Oh my god, Jane, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to–"

"It's fine."

Jane felt a tinge of guilt when she recognized the regret on Darcy's face. She turned around and laid on her side to face Darcy directly. "Really, it's okay. I understand that you're upset, but there's nothing I can do to change his decision. You're kind of better off this way anyways."

Without another word, Jane dived back into her research.

NNNNN

Steam rose from an off-white ceramic coffee mug as Jane poured herself a fresh cup. As she took a sip, she inhaled the fresh steam emitting from the hot cup of coffee. Then, she lowered the mug to her waist level as she did a one eight turn.

A gasp escaped her lips as she saw a bright flash of blue light in the center of the kitchen area. Then, before her eyes, Loki materialized before her. She took a sharp step back in shock as the coffee mug from her fingers and shattered into a dozen pieces as it collided with the floor.

"I'm sorry," Jane stuttered. "I'm not used to that yet."

She crouched down to pick the scattered pieces off the floor. However, before she could touch a single shard, Loki waved his hand and the floor was once again spotless. Jane rose to her full height and gazed at him in absolute wonder.

"You're going to have to teach me that someday."

He grinned. "Unfortunately, it is beyond your abilities as a mortal."

_Mortal_, the way he said it almost felt derogatory – almost as if he had no respect whatsoever for the human race. She opened her mouth to say something defiant, but remembered the position she was in. So, she choose to remain silent.

She turned around and retrieved another coffee mug from the cupboard. She focused on steadying herself as she poured herself a fresh cup. She inhaled the strong sent before taking a sip. The warm, bold taste gave her the quick kick she needed to jump start her system – to keep her distracted.

Then, just when she was starting to feel comfortable, Loki materialized a beige folder into his hands. Her mug slipped from her grasp and just before it hit the floor. Loki levitated safely onto the counter top.

"Okay, you're going to have to warn me before you do something like that again," Jane said.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said with a soft laugh before he tossed the folder on the counter top.

"Is that for me?"

"Yes, it is information on the Tesseract. I assumed you wanted to begin your work as soon as possible."

Jane did not reply. Instead, she snatched the folder from the counter top and flipped through the pages. Her eyes scanned the first page eagerly. Then, she rose to met his eyes. He seemed to be watching her every move almost as if he were studying her like a rat in a cage.

Jane closed the folder and set it back down on the counter. "Yeah, that was the plan."

Her guard slipped for just a moment, and she almost felt comfortable around him. Then, she remembered the way he said _mortal_, and discomfort settled within her once more. Regardless of his politeness, she knew that he thought less of her simply because of her humanity. She would never have his full respect, and it bothered her. Then, she had to ask herself why she even cared if she had his respect.

_Because, you're attracted to him_.

No, that couldn't be it, and she made a mental note that it was probably Darcy's influence that had caused her to think such a thing. Then, she made another mental note that it could also be an psychological effect on him somewhat saving her from Agent Brennan. Lord, she knew she did not even want to venture down that train of thought at the moment.

And, at the end of everything, she really didn't have much of a chance if it were true anyways. She was a mortal, and his derogatory speech was enough to tell her where she stood. On top of that, she repeated her own words to Darcy in her mind.

_What part of ruthless dictator do you not understand?_

So, she forced herself to mentally change the subject, and conversation always seemed to distract her thoughts.

She took another sip of her hot coffee before speaking. "It sounds ridiculous after everything. As a human, I'm supposed to be on their side no matter what, but – I'm actually looking working on this project. I don't know. I should feel wrong, but I don't."

She thought back to her words and her thoughts before. That was probably one of the worst things she could have said. She wondered what how he might respond to it.

"I know from experience that loyalty is superficial. In the end, no one is completely honest and underneath the surface, everyone is on their own side."

She stood and thought about his words as she took another sip of her coffee. It was true for her even. Regardless of the horrible events that occurred before she met Loki, her decision was solely based on her own interest – it frightened her just to think about it.

She sensed him approaching her and her entire body seemed to tense. Then, he brushed the hair on the left side of her face behind her shoulder. She turned to face him directly in his cold green eyes.

"I know your story Jane Foster," he said in whisper. "Brennan disclosed every little detail. I have torn your planet apart...murdered thousands, but not even I could commit such an act upon any soul."

Their faces were inches apart. She was frozen completely. Then, he placed a kiss upon her forehead. She shut her eyes as she was completely unable to respond. She even questioned whether any of this was even real. He pulled away, and when she finally opened her eyes, he was gone.

Good god, she didn't even know what to believe anymore.

LLLLL

Jane sat across the table from Darcy. The same waitress from the day before offered her cigarettes, but this time Jane declined. She took a sip from the water the water, and mentally told herself that she would refrain from continuing her destructive behavior. Then, she focused upon Darcy. This whole dinner was about her and her friendship with her.

"I'll try to convince him to let you stay," Jane said. "I'll tell him that your sort of like a minion or something. You know, you get my coffee and sort my papers."

Darcy just laughed. "Please Jane, change his mind! I don't want to live in some random place where I know no one! What if it's full of..._Republicans_!"

"Darcy...you do realize that party lines really don't matter anymore, right?"

Darcy paused for a moment before she replied. "Well, I guess there's two new parties. Those who are for Loki and those who are trying to overthrow him. I'd say we're on his side by default."

"Darcy, you were a political science major," Jane reminded. "I always assumed that they taught you that _facism_ was you know..._bad_."

"Heyyyy...I wouldn't be pointing the finger if I were you," Darcy defended herself. "When you thought I was passed out in our bedroom, I was actually spying on you guys!"

"_What_?" was all Jane could say.

"Yeah, I saw everything...even when he kissed you."

"On. The Fore. Head." Jane said in her defense. "It's not like that at all Darcy, _seriously_."

"Jeez, don't be so defensive," Darcy replied. "I'm just fuckin' with ya."

Jane took a sip of her water and forced herself to relax.

"Darcy..." Jane said just above a whisper.

"Yeah?" she said.

"What if..." she had to pause before she finally admitted it, "What if I'm attracted to him?"

"Wait..._what_?" Darcy grinned a little as her eyes grew in astonishment. "All this crap you gave me and now this?"

"I'm being serious right now," she said. "Look, I don't know why. It's really horrible...I know. I just don't understand any of this."

"I didn't really understand you when we first met, but I think I get you now," she started. "So, I can try and guess maybe. I think it's because he _saved_ you in a way and you're putting these feelings on him...maybe because of what happened before. That doesn't mean the attraction isn't real or anything, but...I guess I'm saying you should be careful. Getting involved with someone right now is not really a good idea, you know. I mean, after what Brennan did, you're going to need a lot of time or your emotions might come out in really weird ways. I mean, even lately, I've noticed a lot of pent up anger within you."

"Yeah...I guess that makes sense," she said.

She paused as she let her emotions settle for a moment. Then, she looked up to Darcy. "Hey look, I know I've been snippy and a little unfair to you lately. I'm really sorry."

"It's cool," Darcy replied. "I can't even imagine what you're going through right now. So, yeah, we're good. I want more than anything to move passed what that douche bag did."

She lowered her head and smiled to herself. Hearing Darcy refer to Brennan as a _douche bag_ somehow made her feel a bit more happy.

"_So..._" Darcy said with a grin upon her face. "I wonder how good in bed he is. I mean...can you imagine? He's got to have centuries of practice."

This time she laughed instead of scolding Darcy. Although they butted heads at times, she had to admit that Darcy truly was a great friend. So, she decided that her next project would be to convince Loki to let Darcy come with her.

To Be Continued


End file.
